The letter sent to the Eyre family home

Dear Parent/Carer of Emma Louise Eyre,

We recently sent you a letter about measuring Emma Louise's height and weight in school as part of the National Child Measurement Programme.

The measurements have now been completed.

Knowing if your child's weight is within the healthy range for their age, sex, and height can help you make informed choices about their lifestyle.

Height (cm) 146.4

Weight (kg) 48.20

Date of measurement 24 May 2018

These results suggest that your child is overweight for their age, sex and height. If your child is overweight now they are more likely to grow up to be overweight as an adult. This can lead to health problems.

It adds: "You can find out how Emma Louise's results were calculated, and check how Emma Louise is growing over time, by going to ww.nhs.uk/bmi

The background - and what the professionals have to say

Obesity in childhood can cause long term health problems (picture posed by model)

The backlash comes after parents of children at Tor Bridge Primary School contacted Plymouth Live about similar letters sent to them last year.

Plymouth's director of public health Dr Ruth Harrell said support was in place for parents to discuss the results.

School nurses working for Livewell South West had sent out the letters as part of the Public Health England scheme.

Public Health England has previously justified the National Child Measurement Programme as essential for reducing obesity in children.

A spokesman said: “With childhood obesity in England reaching alarming rates, it is increasingly difficulty to objectively see what a healthy weight should look like. We are getting bigger as a nation, meaning our perception of a ‘normal’ weight is not always accurate.

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School news

"This is why the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is so helpful. The information – collected from over a million children each year – tells us the levels of childhood obesity in England.

"Much consideration has gone into the wording of the letters to ensure the information is presented in a supportive and sensitive manner.

“We understand that talking about a child’s weight is a delicate issue, which is why we never share the NCMP results with the child – this is for the parents to decide, and most local authorities will offer support to help parents do this, should they need it.

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"There is a lot that parents can do to influence the weight of their child.

"The letters present an opportunity to help them better understand the information contained within the result letter, discuss the health risks associated with excess weight and guide a family towards making healthy lifestyle changes.

"Based on independent research, the majority (87%) of parents find the feedback in the letters to be helpful. Nearly three-quarters of parents also reported that the letters had prompted them to plan changes to their lifestyle.”